The last week of August was packed with some of the most anticipated smartphone launches of the year. From Huawei’s surprise flagship to Fairphone’s sustainable device to Realme’s ultra-fast charging phone, here are the highlights of the week 35 in review.
Huawei Mate 60 Pro: A triple-notch wonder with a Kirin chip
Huawei stunned the world with the launch of its Mate 60 Pro smartphone in China on Tuesday, without any prior advertising or fanfare. The phone features a unique triple-dot notch on the front, housing a selfie camera and a 3D ToF sensor. It also boasts a 50MP main camera with a variable aperture, a 5,000mAh battery with 88W wired and 50W wireless charging, and a Kirin chipset.
The Kirin 9000s inside the Mate 60 Pro is said to be manufactured by China-based SMIC using its second-generation 7nm-class fabrication process and stacking. This is remarkable considering that Huawei has been facing US sanctions that cut its access to chipmaking tools and suppliers. The phone is currently exclusive to China and there is no word on its global availability or pricing.
Fairphone 5: A phone that lasts for up to 10 years
Fairphone, the Netherlands-based company that focuses on ethical and environmentally friendly smartphone production, unveiled its latest model, the Fairphone 5, on Monday. The phone comes with a 5-year warranty and up to 10 years of software support, with at least 5 OS updates promised. It also has a modular design that allows users to replace or upgrade 11 components, including the OLED display, the cameras, the USB port, and the battery.
The Fairphone 5 is made of 70% fair trade and recycled materials, up from 30-40% on the previous model. It also has a new climate protection label that signifies a reduced carbon footprint over the lifespan of the device. The phone costs €700/£620 and is available in three colors: Matte Black, Sky Blue, and Transparent.
Realme GT5: A beast with 240W fast charging and 24GB RAM
Realme announced its most powerful smartphone yet, the Realme GT5, in China on Saturday. The phone sports a 6.74-inch 144Hz OLED display, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and up to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It also supports a whopping 240W fast charging that can fully charge its 4,600mAh battery in just 8 minutes. There is also a 150W variant that has a larger 5,240mAh battery.
The Realme GT5 has a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. It also has an independent X7 display chip that can boost the frame rate of mobile games up to 144fps. The phone is priced at CNY2,999 ($464) for the base model and CNY3,799 ($588) for the top model.
